Dan LeRoy ’96, a graduate of the Broadcast Communications (now Broadcast-Cinema) program, has been working at Cox Communications since he graduated from MxCC. Dan secured an internship at Cox when he attended MxCC and has been working there for almost 15 years! Dan received real hands-on experience during his time at MxCC. Read his story to learn how he was able to apply what he learned at his two internships, and then his job!
Where are you living now?
South Meriden, Connecticut
What was your major?
Broadcast Communications
What year did you graduate?
1996….man, I’m old.
Where do you work?
I work for Cox Media in the production department.
What is your job title and duties?
I’m a Producer/Director II. My main job duty is to meet with clients who are going to advertise on cable, write scripts, direct, shoot, and edit 30 second commercials.
What originally brought you to MxCC?
I was a senior in high school and quickly realizing I was going to have to decide what the next step was going to be. I had already found that I had a deep interest in producing video. I was part of the AV club in school and also produced a monthly public access show. I also had a big interest in art. I don’t recall exactly how I heard about MxCC, I believe it was a mailer. However, I made an appointment to meet with the head of the art department, and the head of the broadcasting department and took a tour of each. At the time I went through the Broadcast Communications department, they were producing a “Now That’s News” segment. I was enamored with the excitement and teamwork that was going on in the control room. People were rushing about giving direction to the stage crew, and the TD was shouting out which camera to switch to. It really captured me.
Did you do an internship at MxCC?
I did two internships that were required parts of my curriculum. I did my first internship with Dimension (now Cox) Public Access, which I was responsible for helping out with remote shoots as well as studio and edit suite workings. Back then, every Friday night we would bring our mobile unit to a school’s ball field and would record their football game. I assisted with setup and eventually worked my way up to the point where I was running slow motion replay. It was really exciting to be a part of a real production and see how it could be done. My second internship was with CableRep Advertising (now Cox Media). There I worked with the head of production and was a production assistant for commercial shoots, as well had the opportunity to learn how to edit. It was an amazing experience.
How did MxCC prepare you for your job now?
Following my internship with CableRep Advertising, I was approached with a job opportunity with Public Access where I did my first internship. I jumped on that opportunity and two years after working in the Public Access department, there was a need for work in the CableRep Advertising department. I was brought right in, because I had a great report with the folks there from my internship. I immediately started working – writing, shooting, doing graphics, and editing for TV commercials and have been doing that for the past 14 years. MxCC prepared me for that job by teaching me about the latest and greatest of equipment out there, and how to use it properly. I also learned how and why to shoot something the correct way. My classes were great, but the best part was we were able to use real equipment to do our work, which gave me the practical hands-on knowledge many colleges do not offer.
What was your favorite thing about MxCC?
The professors were amazing. I was able to learn in a fun environment and the professors were always willing to sit down and teach each one of us individually. The environment was also one of my favorite things because it was set up in such a way that it truly fostered learning.
